UN intervention will strengthen Rohingya repatriation process

The Myanmar government at last has given a delegation of diplomats an opportunity for the first time to visit the Rakhine state. But the government has allowed the delegation consisting of diplomats, members of different organizations and journalists only to visit the area specified by the government. The delegation was not allowed to visit the damaged area independently. This was the first time the Myanmar government allowed the outsiders to visit the area since the atrocities carried out on Rohingya people on August 25.

According to the delegation what it has witnessed there was unprecedented and terrible. The members of the delegation were stunned after seeing the untold suffering of the Rohingya people and burning of thousands of villages to ashes. They found no existence of human habitat there.

If the area specified by the Myanmar government is such macabre, then how gruesome the areas would be where the delegation was not allowed to visit? It can be easily measured. The United Nations (UN) claimed that the Myanmar military force carried out ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people and its claim is logically true. The UN also called upon the Myanmar government to end the atrocities on them immediately.

We think that the situation may improve if international pressure is exerted on Myanmar following the reports submitted by the delegation. The countries which are still supporting Myanmar on Rohingya issue may change their stance if they are well informed about the report. Supporting ethnic cleansing due to only trade and geopolitical interests can never be expected. Supporting such crime can be leveled as crimes against humanity.

Human rights supporting countries and the worst sufferer Bangladesh will have to be vocal against this crime in order to resolve the Rohingya crisis. Rakhine state is still confined and several thousand Rohingyas are waiting in the border area to enter Bangladesh. More than five lakh Rohingyas have so far fled to Bangladesh since the militant crackdown started in the Rakhine state. Fore lakh more Rohingyas had earlier entered Bangladesh. The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian ground.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar government has taken steps to solve the Rohingya crisis due to Bangladesh’s activity across the world. Minister of the Office of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has assured Bangladesh of taking back Rohingyas after paying a visit to Dhaka. After the visit of Myanmar minister in Dhaka, diplomats and media are allowed to enter the Rakhine state. There is no reason to be happy at the Myanmar’s efforts to take back Rohingyas as their steps could be flamboyant due to international pressure which time will define.

Earlier in 1992, the Myanmar government came up with a declaration of taking back Rohingyas but it was not implemented. This time our diplomatic efforts should be accelerated more so that Myanmar cannot take any chance to skip the decision to take back Rohingyas. We believe that the solution to Rohingya crisis would be easy if the UN plays its role in this regard.

risingbd/Dhaka/Oct 6, 2017/Ali Nowsher/Amirul